Beef olives

'Beef Olives' don't have any association with the olives you pick off a tree. Rather, the 'olives' are little parcels of stuffed schnitzel which, cooked in the slow cooker, result in a beautifully tender, popular family meal.

Ingredients

10-12 beef schnitzels

2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

75 g butter, chilled and grated

1/2 tsp crushed celery seeds, optional

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried oregano

grated rind of 2 lemons

1-2 onions, peeled and sliced

1 cup chopped prunes

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cup beef stock

1/4 cup redcurrant jelly, optional

1/4 cup HP or worcestershire sauce

Preparation

Turn the slow cooker on to low to pre-warm while preparing the ingredients. To make the stuffing, mix together the breadcrumbs, butter, celery seeds, thyme, oregano and lemon rind.

Place one schnitzel on top of a piece of damp plastic wrap on a chopping board. Sprinkle the meat with a little water and cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap. Hit firmly with a mallet or rolling pin to flatten the schnitzels so they are an even thickness. The dampened plastic will help prevent the meat from tearing.

Cut the schnitzels in half cross-wise.

Place a spoonful of stuffing on each piece of beef and roll up to enclose the filling. Secure with a toothpick.

If wishing to brown the ingredients, heat a dash of oil in a frying-pan and fry the beef olives until well browned. Brown the onion if desired.

Put the beef olives, onion and prunes into the pre-warmed slow cooker.

In a jug, mix together the flour, stock, redcurrant jelly if using and HP or Worcestershire sauce, and pour over the beef olives.

Cover with the lid. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.